(photo via Chalkbeat and the High School of Art and Design)

What an awesome program that organically supports students who want first-hand experience in the maker business realm.

As a freshman, Vivien McNab was already thinking about how to turn her passion for cartooning and fan art into something others could enjoy.

….

Now she’s receiving support to get her own store off the ground. McNab is one of the hundreds of high school juniors and seniors participating in Artist Youth Entrepreneurs, a pilot program Art and Design launched this year to help students build the necessary skills to thrive as working artists.

The program has been a collaboration between educators, students, parents, legal and tech experts, and more, offering a well-rounded and realistic approach to the intersection of art and making in the current economic climate:

Parents and families have been involved in the program from the outset, with families helping students set up their accounts, and the school providing parents with resources and guidance for checking in with their students about their online stores.

In addition to Etsy, the program has brought in other partners from various industries to assist with instruction. Lawyers at Proskauer Rose LLP and MetLife talked about copyright law, while staffers from Ridgewood Savings Bank shared financial best practices — and gave students the opportunity to open free accounts at the bank.

Read more about it here on chalkbeat: